Pic credit Garrett Robinson
It’s Throwback Thursday, so here’s a story from Wellington in November 2012, just before The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey premiere.
When Garrett Robinson was asked to deliver three Severn Lang bags to Adam Brown in November 2012, he was afforded a delightful glimpse into the pre-premiere world of The Hobbit actors.
Severn Lang has designed bags for Graham McTavish and his wife Gwen for years and, as the bags were much admired by The Hobbit cast and crew, Severn asked his friend Garret if he would deliver three of them to three of the dwarves while Garret was visiting Wellington for The Hobbit premiere.
The day came for Garret to deliver the bags, and he arrived at the actors’ hotel to find it buzzing with people. He was taken to Security to have the bags checked and then sent back to the hotel lobby. He knew he was to deliver the bags to Adam Brown and here Garret takes up the story:
“So we were sent back down to sit in the lobby again. At that point, Adam Brown actually entered the hotel with Aidan Turner. I wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate to just jump up and hand him the bags, seeing as he was surrounded by an entourage, so we just sat there, waiting. I saw him look over at us and eye the bags, but he didn’t say anything. Soon he was swept off by (yet another) polite lady organizer.
“Soon, one of the polite lady organizers we’d already met (either the second or the third one, I honestly can’t remember which – they all had the same hair) came to see us. The actors were ready for us. We got up, and Adam Brown emerged from somewhere in the hotel, out into the lobby. We greeted him, shook his hand and handed him the bags. Aidan Turner was still with him, and he got one. At that point, Martin Freeman came out into the lobby (OH MY GOD!) He greeted the others warmly and then the following conversation took place right in front of us:
Aidan Turner: “We’re about to see the film.”
Martin Freeman: “Oh, enjoy.”
AT: “Have you seen it?”
MF: “Yeah, saw it Sunday.”
AT: “Is it good?”
MF: “It’s very good. Very, very good.”
AT: “Did you make the cut?”
MF: “No, I’m not in it. But Richard [Armitage] is, so that’s something.”
